Doctor Who

[Inkling Cooper]

Bump. so, Clara's leaving during Series 9. Info on this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/2a2689a8-5c52-46af-8e69-2fad42c46da3

[Celestia]

Not surprising, really. I love Clara, but as of this season (assuming she only leaves during the finale, anyway) she'll have been around as long as Amy and Rory were. Arguably even longer, if you count the splinters who appeared pre-The Bells of Saint John. I'm not adverse to companions staying around for a long time--in fact, in theory I actually prefer it--but with Amy and Rory it just felt kinda awkward in the end. Hell, the same thing kinda happened with Clara in Series 8 when they were all mysterious about whether or not she'd leave then.

So yeah, here's hoping she gets a good sendoff.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Celestia

[PickleBrows]

The writing was on the wall for a while and it's almost definitely the right time for her to start a new adventure somewhere else.

I personally wouldn't mind her staying around but there'd definitely be tons of people who'd flip their lid if she stayed any longer. Looking forward to seeing who's up next. 

[Salamander]

I'm glad, at least, that companions have been sticking around longer in the Moffat era.  During the Davies era then the changes were basically seasonal - the Doctor changed after Series 1, then the companion changed after all three of the following series...  I like having characters stick around for longer, to be developed.

Regarding the next companion, there has been a report and considerable speculation that we might be looking at another specials year next year.  If that's the case, it might well be a good time for a series of guest companions - the Paternoster Gang, Osgood, etc.  Arguably Christmas could be seen to be beginning such a trend with River's return.

[Patticus]

I'm happy to see her go. I haven't found any kind of attachment to her character, and look forward to seeing who comes up next (if anyone).

[ZERO_ninja]

I'm sad to see her go, especially because I feel her character got casualtied with a story concept in s8 that was really poorly executed and I would have liked her getting the benefit of another full season to repair that damage. Oh well.

[Ducktor Naldush]

It's a shame because I actually really liked her character (and let's be honest, Jenna Coleman is also all kinds of cute), but it was bound to happen, sooner or later. I really hope the next companion is not another girl with romantic feelings for the Doctor because, seriously, it's starting to become annoying. There is a reason why Ace is my favourite companion.

[ZERO_ninja]

I really hope the next companion is not another girl with romantic feelings for the Doctor because, seriously, it's starting to become annoying.

They did away with that dynamic with Clara and 12 and Capaldi said he doesn't want to do that stuff, so pretty sure it's not about to resurface. My bigger worry is another Danny Pink situation where an awful character like that is created just to shoehorn in the romantic element because Moffat is worried about having that aspect of the show be missing entirely after it was such a huge aspect of RTD's tenure when the show was brought back.

[Willsy]

I'm not really surprised about Jenna/Clara leaving, I had a feeling that it was going to be this season. This question is, how and when?  There is an episode half way through the season that I think could be a possibility if that is indeed Clara's fate, though I would prefer if they pulled a Martha and just have her leave the TARDIS, maybe to make a guest appearance again in the future. We have already seen 'tragic' conclusions for Rose, Donna, and the Ponds, so it would be a breath of fresh air if it were a scenario along the lines of Clara not being able to cope with Twelve's personality anymore. 

[Salamander]

I've heard a wild theory, and I will spoiler tag it because it is based on some alleged leaks and unconfirmed spoilers, that:

Clara dies repeatedly this season, and the Doctor has to fix it each time.  Actually, personally I'd prefer a variant that almost certainly won't happen: The same thing, but they're all splinter Claras and we don't realise until the end that they've been dying over and over.

[Spin Attaxx]

So wow... that first episode. What an opening, eh?

That bit at the start was pretty good. You dun goofed, Doc. You dun goofed.

[Debug Ring]

Well, that was pretty gripping. Obviously spoilers ahead.

Well, the Daleks seem to be doing pretty well. The Doctor's TARDIS is gone, Clara and Missy are exterminated (we'll see how long that lasts), and Skaro is back. I think the planes stopping was a bit useless, Missy being back could have been enough for UNITs attention in itself. Can I also say that they got Skaro spot on? It looks like it's straight out of the 60s and I'm glad that's not changed.

And Davros, that's pretty awesome itself. Interesting that at the end there the Doctor doesn't seem to question whether he 'has the right' anymore...

Really looking forward to next week!

Also. Just wanted to say, I've gone into this series blind of the majority of news and leaks and stuff. And so far it's the best idea I've had.

 

[QuantumEdge]

Been waiting for a big Dalek story and I got what I came for.  I absolutely adore Skaro's design.  Not to mention that smashing opening b it with a young Davros.  I mean what a way of starting a season with Who!

[Boomer]

Eh, this episode was a mixed bag for me. The first half was pretty poor, especially the sequence with the guitar, but the second half was pretty good.

I'm really glad to see Davros back, I was hoping to see him with 12 eventually. I'm glad they even mentioned the "If you could kill a child one who would grow up..." speech.  But I still really, really do not like Missy at all - she's got all the problems John Simm's Master had (being way too OTT or "bananas" as Missy said), the sound effect when she sent that psychic projection to UNIT was really out of place too.

Next week's episode looks far better.

[PickleBrows]

I'm a bit too hyperactive just now to give full opinions but I will bring up one thing. I can't even remember the full quote but anyway.

• something
• something else
• when he was a little girl

"One of those was a lie, can you tell which one?"

Moffat's having a field day with the gender thing and loving every moment of it.

[Kevin]

What an intense episode! It started off with quite an opening and now It looks like the Daleks have upper hand considering that the TARDIS, Clara, and Missy are gone. They sure left the episode with quite a cliffhanger there! I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next week!

[The Tenth Doctor]

I enjoyed the episode thoroughly. I only have one thing I really dislike, Missy. She seems to keep using the word sexy, her accent is all over the place and yeesh, she makes John Simm look calm. Anyway, Capaldi is great here, he seems to have came into his own now. Though when we saw the TV with the other Doctor's, it made me think. How did the main villain of tonight escape the fate we last saw him in? This isn't the first time we've skipped an explanation for a returning villain. Sorry, being negative. Good first ep, Daleks are glorious.

[Salamander]

I don't know if I was feeling it, myself.  With Moffat, quite often I find that I like his raw ideas but don't care so much for the execution.  The visuals were fantastic, though.  I'm quite looking forward to next week, as this episode seemed like all set-up, very transitional.

Edit: Straight from the BBC One Twitter:

Edited September 19, 2015 by FFWF

[PSI Wind]

Well, that was pretty gripping. Obviously spoilers ahead.

Well, the Daleks seem to be doing pretty well. The Doctor's TARDIS is gone, Clara and Missy are exterminated (we'll see how long that lasts), and Skaro is back. I think the planes stopping was a bit useless, Missy being back could have been enough for UNITs attention in itself. Can I also say that they got Skaro spot on? It looks like it's straight out of the 60s and I'm glad that's not changed.

And Davros, that's pretty awesome itself. Interesting that at the end there the Doctor doesn't seem to question whether he 'has the right' anymore...

Really looking forward to next week!

Also. Just wanted to say, I've gone into this series blind of the majority of news and leaks and stuff. And so far it's the best idea I've had.

 

Well, normally when a Dalek exterminates someone, their bodies are left behind. Them "killing" Missy and Clara probably is the trap.

[Doctor MK]

I've yet to give my verdict on The Magician's Apprentice, so here goes! What do I have to say about last Saturday's opening episode to Series 9? Well, I think I can sum it up in one word...

Dude.

Now, for the more in-depth version in a spoiler box, because... well... spoilers! Very, very big spoilers!

This episode just hit all the right notes for me. I'd heard the rumours about the "Boy Davros" storyline over the last few months and, as much as I wanted to be surprised, I was secretly hoping they'd turn out to be true because of how brilliant that concept was. Lo and behold, the tabloids were right! The pre-titles sequence was excellent at setting the scene for the war between the Kaleds and the Thals, seeing The Doctor doing what he does best and helping those in need... and then wham, the clanger that the boy he's about to save is actually the most evil and maniacal person he's ever met! It's an excellent hook and a brilliant sort-of-sequel to Genesis of the Daleks, arguably the greatest Doctor Who (or at least Dalek) story there's been.

The goods kept on coming throughout the episode - Peter Capaldi's second entrance riding a tank and playing an electric guitar (I swear that riff was the Doctor Who theme...) was a delight, the throwbacks to the likes of Karn and the Shadow Proclamation were a welcome addition to help stitch together the Whoniverse, and the biggest crowd-pleaser of them all... Davros himself! I knew we were going to see Boy Davros, but actual Davros? Played once again by Julian Bleach, seven years after his last appearance? And just as good now as he was then? Massive props to the team for managing to keep that a secret, it was a hell of a surprise and he plays so brilliantly against The Twelfth Doctor. I can't wait to see what's in store for them next week.

As for Clara and Missy... yeah, they were both fine, Michelle Gomez definitely got some of the best lines although I do think her character is a little bit OTT at times. Still very fun to watch though, a vast improvement over her Series 8 appearance and it brings a nice twist to the Doctor/Master relationship. Clearly both of them aren't dead after being "exterminated" by the Daleks (who, may I just say, are back on top form here) - I have a feeling Steven Moffat intentionally brushed off Missy's return in Episode 1 so he could actually show off her escape trick in action in Episode 2.

Any niggles? Umm... Colony Sarff was cool but he seemed a little superfluous, however I'm sure he's back in the next episode so hopefully he'll have a bit more to do there. I was also a little disappointed that Missy has resorted to vortex manipulators for time travel - I'd have loved to have seen a proper New Who Master TARDIS - but who knows, that may well be for plot conveniences too. Time will tell!

Needless to say, I was very pleased and it's easily one of my favourite series openers since the show came back (my other favourites being Partners in Crime, The Eleventh Hour, Asylum of the Daleks and Deep Breath). It's definitely one of my favourite Twelfth Doctor episodes so far anyway, what a way to start a new series! Let's hope the run of good quality continues throughout the next 12 weeks...

To whet your appetite for this weekend, here's some preview clips for The Witch's Familiar... absolutely don't look at these if you still haven't seen the first episode!

Get Out! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oekv8PAWLk

The Doctor is Escaping! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JroLBfILmQ

Edited September 24, 2015 by Doctor MK

[PickleBrows]

Since there's no MCM Comic-Con topic (that I know of). I figured I'd mention my first outing with my 10th Doctor Cosplay.

I've never done any cosplay before but this turned out to be a brilliant day. I was really surprised at the amount of people that commented on it and wanted photos. 

There was a big group shot out front with all the Doctor Ccsplayers so of course I had to get in on that. I'm in the group and I notice this woman standing in front of all of us. I'm working my gears trying to figure out who she is and then it hits me. It's Sophie Aldred (ACE)! I knew she was coming to do signings but I had no idea she was coming out for the photo as well. I've been told they're doing the photo shoot again tomorrow so hopefully I'll get a chance to say hi then.

I also ended up messing around with my screwdriver a bit (the Wand Company remote version if you're curious). The TV-B-Gone mode seemed to be a crowd-pleaser, as was my one-on-one fight with a Dalek (He even identified it as the remote, there's a true Whovian in that casing).

I'll be out on the floor again tomorrow so hopefully there's more adventure ahead!

Now then, who's ready for the Witch's Familiar?

 

[Debug Ring]

Well, I have to say that was a lot better than the first part.

I thought they'd play on Missy and Clara being dead a bit longer, but I suppose it just gets it over with at the start. The scenes involving Davros and the Doctor were very good. I was unsure about Davros opening his eyes and crying at first, but I suppose he must have eyes so why not. And the crying was all part of a plan too, which was pretty well played off. It was actually a little touching that scene. Missy was a lot better in this episode, the best she's been. Died down on the crazy and was a lot more cunning. Especially that last scene with Clara and the Doctor, having him almost kill Clara. It's going to be interesting and probably a bit more well written with the Sonic out of the picture too. I'm unsure how often this 'Wearable Technology' is going to come in handy, but we'll see.

[Failinhearts]

Everyone's talking about Series 9... And I'm still at the beginning of Matt Smith's run...

Speaking of which, I'm enjoying what I saw of the Eleventh Doctor but damn, do I need to catch up.

How long does it usually take for a new season to appear on Netflix?

[Salamander]

I liked this part a lot more than the first part, too.  Davros being clever, Missy being supremely evil, amazing callback to Asylum Of The Daleks.

[Doctor MK]

Well whaddya know, The Witch's Familiar was a Doctor Who part two that actually didn't underwhelm for once! It certainly took a different approach to The Magician's Apprentice, but it was by no means the lesser of the two episodes - the slower pace and more intimate setting made for a far more character-driven piece, one which gave all of the key players and the plot plenty of time to breathe. Just from these opening episodes alone, I think they've more than justified the decision to have nearly all two-parters this year - let's just hope the rest of them live up to this standard, the bar has been set pretty high now!

Full thoughts in spoilers:

I'm glad that they didn't even try to prolong the fact that Clara and Missy weren't really dead - I mean, even The Doctor wasn't entirely convinced, and he saw them get blasted by Dalek lasers! - and even though the resolution was full of technobabble and plot conveniences, it served as a reasonable excuse for their escape and also provided the get-out for Missy's "death" in 

Death in Heaven. Michelle Gomez was the best she's ever been in this episode, playing down the wackiness and being far more callous and conniving - even though she was on The Doctor's side, you never felt safe to trust her. Poor Clara, having to put complete faith in the psychopath who's sort-of responsible for her boyfriend being dead. Tied upside down, handcuffed to a wall, trapped in the confines of a Dalek shell... Clara was well and truly pushed to the limit here, and it was touching to see how much she would tolerate to help out The Doctor - and in turn, how desperate he was to see her safely returned.

Oh yes, The Doctor was on fine form again here too. I'm struggling to decide which entrance I preferred between these two episodes - rocking out on a tank, or gatecrashing the Dalek party in Davros' chair! ("anyone for dodgems?") The writing was surprisingly tight this week, full of wit and clever jokes ("your sewers are revolting!") but also incredibly dark at points too. The exchanges between The Doctor and Davros were excellent, one of the best tête-a-tête scenes that the two have possibly ever had. I genuinely felt sorry and sympathetic for Davros when he was opening his "true" eyes, crying and laughing in equal measure... but surprise surprise, he's still the wrinkly old bugger he's always been with a sneaky plan. Sure, it backfired on him, but at least he came out of it rejuvenated and with an unseen fate - he'll be back, I'm certain! Same goes for Missy, I'm glad we didn't see her perish for the third time in a row. Was her "clever idea" an escape route? An alliance with the Daleks? No doubt we'll find out when we eventually see her again.

If I have any niggles about this episode, it's the very quick and technobabbly resolution of how the TARDIS survived, and the apparent decision that The Doctor has ditched his sonic screwdriver entirely now in favour of sonic sunglasses. I mean, the shades are cool an' all, but... they just don't have quite the same appeal, y'know? I know the glasses appear a few more times this series for certain, so maybe they really are here to stay...

Anyway, this prophecy about a Dalek/Time Lord hybrid that Davros mentioned... is that somehow going to play into the Series 9 arc, perhaps even as the big bad for the finale? Clearly The Doctor's confession is going to be the focal point of the season, but... just what is it about? I guess we'll find out by the start of December...!

Next week we go Under The Lake for the start of another two-parter, and this one's a haunted house tale in an underwater base... who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! The Doctor and Clara!